GENTLE SPIRIT HORSES RESCUE & SANCTUARY

Scotland, SD | http://www.gentlespirithorses.org

GuideStar Charity Check

EIN: 27-4282458

Contributions tax deductible
as of November 2025

IRS BMF 509(a)(1)
as of November 14, 2025

View summary

Charity Check report

Mission

Gentle Spirit Horses is a rescue and sanctuary for horses based out of Scotland, South Dakota. Our mission is to provide assistance to neglected, abused and unwanted horses, and through outreach and education, promote responsible horse ownership.

Ruling year info

2014

Executive Director

Tiffany Ring

Main address

29571 419th Ave

Scotland, SD 57059-5215 USA

Show more contact info

EIN

27-4282458

Subject area info

Animal welfare

NTEE code info

Animal Protection and Welfare (includes Humane Societies and SPCAs) (D20)

IRS subsection

501(c)(3) Public Charity

IRS filing requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.

Tax forms

Show Forms 990

Communication

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

This profile needs more info.

If it is your nonprofit, add a problem overview.

Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

Education & Outreach

n addition to rescue and rehabilitation, we emphasize education and advocacy, helping the public understand responsible horse ownership, the risks horses face in the auction pipeline, and the importance of proper care. We also participate in programs such as the Dakota Showdown, which helps young mustangs transition into successful adoptable partners.

Rescue

Gentle Spirit Horses Rescue & Sanctuary is dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating, and rehoming at-risk horses while providing lifelong sanctuary to those in need. Operating in the Midwest, we take in equines from various backgrounds, including neglect cases, owner surrenders, auction rescues, and mustangs from government holding facilities. Our mission is to ensure every horse receives proper veterinary care, nutrition, and training as needed to increase their chances of adoption. For horses that are unrideable or unlikely to find homes due to age, health, or special needs, we offer a safe, loving sanctuary where they can live out their days in peace.

Where we work

South Dakota (United States)

Our results

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.

Number of animal adoptions

Totals By Year

Population(s) Served

Related Program

Rescue

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

Number of animals surrendered by their owner

Totals By Year

Population(s) Served

Related Program

Rescue

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

Average number of days of shelter stay for animals

Totals By Year

Population(s) Served

Related Program

Rescue

Type of Metric

Input - describing resources we use

Direction of Success

Decreasing

Context Notes

Average length of stay statistics for adopted horses. All LOS metrics for 2023: Transferred Out: 177 days Shelter Euthanasia: 153.75 days Died In Care (natural causes): 1446.27 days

Number of animals rescued

Totals By Year

Population(s) Served

Related Program

Rescue

Type of Metric

Context - describing the issue we work on

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

The total amount of horses who were considered an "intake". This includes owner surrenders, auction purchases, returning adopted horses, law enforcement seizures, and community support cases.

Our Sustainable Development Goals

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.

Goals & Strategy

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.

Charting impact

Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.

What is the organization aiming to accomplish?

Our goals and our mission is the same: to provide assistance to neglected, abused and unwanted horses, and through outreach and education, promote responsible horse ownership.

What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?

Gentle Spirit Horses Rescue & Sanctuary employs a multi-faceted approach to ensure the successful rescue, rehabilitation, and rehoming of at-risk horses:

Rescue & Rehabilitation: We provide immediate care, veterinary treatment, proper nutrition, and individualized rehabilitation plans to help horses recover from neglect, injury, or trauma.

Training & Adoption: For adoptable horses, we offer groundwork and under-saddle training to increase their chances of finding permanent, suitable homes.

Sanctuary & Lifetime Care: Horses with medical conditions, advanced age, or special needs receive a safe, lifelong home in our sanctuary program.

Education & Advocacy: We engage the public through social media, educational events, and community outreach to promote responsible horse ownership and raise awareness about equine welfare issues.

Sustainable Funding & Community Support: We secure donations, sponsorships, and grants while fostering a strong volunteer and supporter network to ensure financial sustainability and ongoing care for our horses.

Through these strategies, we work to reduce equine suffering, increase responsible adoptions, and provide a compassionate safety net for horses in need.

What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?

What have they accomplished so far and what's next?

How we listen

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.

We shared information about our current feedback practices.

How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?

To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people’s needs and how we can help them achieve their goals,
Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?

We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive,
What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?

It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback,

Financials

GENTLE SPIRIT HORSES RESCUE & SANCTUARY

Fiscal year: Jan 01 - Dec 31

Financial documents

Revenue vs. expenses: breakdown

SOURCE: IRS Form 990

NET GAIN/LOSS: in

Note: When component data are not available, the graph displays the total Revenue and/or Expense values.

Financial data

SOURCE: IRS Form 990

Digitizing IRS form 990 data

GENTLE SPIRIT HORSES RESCUE & SANCTUARY

Revenue & expenses

Fiscal Year: Jan 01 - Dec 31

SOURCE: IRS Form 990 info

Fiscal year ending: Download Data

Revenue
Contributions	$46,134
Program Services	$5,702
Investments	$0
Special Events	$0
Sales	$0
Other	$0
Total Revenue	$51,836

Expenses
Grants	$0
Salaries & Employee Benefits	$0
Professional Fees	$7,310
Occupancy	$5,140
Printing, Publications, Postage, etc.	$401
Other Expenses	$38,677
Total Expenses	$51,528
Net Gain/Loss	$308

Revenue
Contributions	$106,505
Program Services	$12,100
Investments	$0
Special Events	$6,074
Sales	$0
Other	$0
Total Revenue	$124,679

Expenses
Grants	$1,000
Salaries & Employee Benefits	$0
Professional Fees	$12,811
Occupancy	$6,760
Printing, Publications, Postage, etc.	$1,054
Other Expenses	$93,432
Total Expenses	$115,057
Net Gain/Loss	$9,622

Revenue
Contributions	$65,140
Program Services	$4,260
Investments	$0
Special Events	$6,365
Sales	$208
Other	$398
Total Revenue	$76,371

Expenses
Grants	$945
Salaries & Employee Benefits	$0
Professional Fees	$0
Occupancy	$8,808
Printing, Publications, Postage, etc.	$916
Other Expenses	$63,974
Total Expenses	$74,643
Net Gain/Loss	$1,728

Revenue
Contributions	$81,277
Program Services	$7,114
Investments	$0
Special Events	$6,654
Sales	$3,474
Other	$0
Total Revenue	$98,519

Expenses
Grants	$50
Salaries & Employee Benefits	$0
Professional Fees	$3,329
Occupancy	$8,775
Printing, Publications, Postage, etc.	$141
Other Expenses	$76,264
Total Expenses	$88,559
Net Gain/Loss	$9,960

Revenue
Contributions	$77,498
Program Services	$2,519
Investments	$0
Special Events	$1,594
Sales	$0
Other	$0
Total Revenue	$81,611

Expenses
Grants	$0
Salaries & Employee Benefits	$0
Professional Fees	$180
Occupancy	$19,973
Printing, Publications, Postage, etc.	$848
Other Expenses	$87,982
Total Expenses	$108,983
Net Gain/Loss	($27,372)

Revenue
Contributions	$74,362
Program Services	$7,427
Investments	$0
Special Events	$2,213
Sales	$0
Other	$0
Total Revenue	$84,002

Expenses
Grants	$0
Salaries & Employee Benefits	$0
Professional Fees	$246
Occupancy	$20,282
Printing, Publications, Postage, etc.	$362
Other Expenses	$63,784
Total Expenses	$84,674
Net Gain/Loss	($672)

Revenue
Contributions	$84,324
Program Services	$16,222
Investments	$0
Special Events	$2,069
Sales	$0
Other	$0
Total Revenue	$102,615

Expenses
Grants	$0
Salaries & Employee Benefits	$0
Professional Fees	$973
Occupancy	$17,444
Printing, Publications, Postage, etc.	$188
Other Expenses	$82,415
Total Expenses	$101,020
Net Gain/Loss	$1,595

Revenue
Contributions	$92,598
Program Services	$8,885
Investments	$0
Special Events	$0
Sales	$0
Other	$252
Total Revenue	$101,735

Expenses
Grants	$0
Salaries & Employee Benefits	$0
Professional Fees	$500
Occupancy	$8,626
Printing, Publications, Postage, etc.	$264
Other Expenses	$99,643
Total Expenses	$109,033
Net Gain/Loss	($7,298)

GENTLE SPIRIT HORSES RESCUE & SANCTUARY

Balance sheet

Fiscal Year: Jan 01 - Dec 31

SOURCE: IRS Form 990 info

The balance sheet gives a snapshot of the financial health of an organization at a particular point in time. An organization's total assets should generally exceed its total liabilities, or it cannot survive long, but the types of assets and liabilities must also be considered. For instance, an organization's current assets (cash, receivables, securities, etc.) should be sufficient to cover its current liabilities (payables, deferred revenue, current year loan, and note payments). Otherwise, the organization may face solvency problems. On the other hand, an organization whose cash and equivalents greatly exceed its current liabilities might not be putting its money to best use.

Fiscal year ending: Download Data

Liabilities	Jan 01, 2015	Dec 31, 2015	Change
Total Liabilities	$1,412	$1,301	($111)

Fund balance	Jan 01, 2015	Dec 31, 2015	Change
Net Assets	$653	$961	$308

Assets	Jan 01, 2016	Dec 31, 2016	Change
Contributions	$106,505
Cash & Equivalents	$2,262	$6,034	$3,772
Fixed Assets (LBE - Depreciation)	$0	$0	$0
Other	$0	$8,879	$8,879
Total Assets	$2,262	$14,913	$12,651

Liabilities	Jan 01, 2016	Dec 31, 2016	Change
Total Liabilities	$1,301	$4,330	$3,029

Fund balance	Jan 01, 2016	Dec 31, 2016	Change
Net Assets	$961	$10,583	$9,622

Assets	Jan 01, 2017	Dec 31, 2017	Change
Contributions	$65,140
Cash & Equivalents	$6,034	$18,356	$12,322
Fixed Assets (LBE - Depreciation)	$0	$0	$0
Other	$8,879	$0	($8,879)
Total Assets	$14,913	$18,356	$3,443

Liabilities	Jan 01, 2017	Dec 31, 2017	Change
Total Liabilities	$4,330	$7,356	$3,026

Fund balance	Jan 01, 2017	Dec 31, 2017	Change
Net Assets	$10,583	$11,000	$417

Assets	Jan 01, 2018	Dec 31, 2018	Change
Contributions	$81,277
Cash & Equivalents	$18,356	$9,801	($8,555)
Fixed Assets (LBE - Depreciation)	$0	$0	$0
Other	$0	$16,081	$16,081
Total Assets	$18,356	$25,882	$7,526

Liabilities	Jan 01, 2018	Dec 31, 2018	Change
Total Liabilities	$7,356	$4,248	($3,108)

Fund balance	Jan 01, 2018	Dec 31, 2018	Change
Net Assets	$11,000	$21,634	$10,634

Assets	Jan 01, 2019	Dec 31, 2019	Change
Contributions	$77,498
Cash & Equivalents	$9,801	$4,958	($4,843)
Fixed Assets (LBE - Depreciation)	$0	$0	$0
Other	$16,081	$8,298	($7,783)
Total Assets	$25,882	$13,256	($12,626)

Liabilities	Jan 01, 2019	Dec 31, 2019	Change
Total Liabilities	$4,248	$17,608	$13,360

Fund balance	Jan 01, 2019	Dec 31, 2019	Change
Net Assets	$21,634	($4,352)	($25,986)

Assets	Jan 01, 2020	Dec 31, 2020	Change
Contributions	$74,362
Cash & Equivalents	$4,958	$2,158	($2,800)
Fixed Assets (LBE - Depreciation)	$0	$0	$0
Other	$8,298	$8,630	$332
Total Assets	$13,256	$10,788	($2,468)

Liabilities	Jan 01, 2020	Dec 31, 2020	Change
Total Liabilities	$17,608	$15,812	($1,796)

Fund balance	Jan 01, 2020	Dec 31, 2020	Change
Net Assets	($4,352)	($5,024)	($672)

Assets	Jan 01, 2021	Dec 31, 2021	Change
Contributions	$84,324
Cash & Equivalents	$2,158	$18,664	$16,506
Fixed Assets (LBE - Depreciation)	$0	$0	$0
Other	$8,630	$1,427	($7,203)
Total Assets	$10,788	$20,091	$9,303

Liabilities	Jan 01, 2021	Dec 31, 2021	Change
Total Liabilities	$15,812	$23,520	$7,708

Fund balance	Jan 01, 2021	Dec 31, 2021	Change
Net Assets	($5,024)	($3,429)	$1,595

Assets	Jan 01, 2022	Dec 31, 2022	Change
Contributions	$92,598
Cash & Equivalents	$18,664	$23,532	$4,868
Fixed Assets (LBE - Depreciation)	$0	$0	$0
Other	$1,427	$1,950	$523
Total Assets	$20,091	$25,482	$5,391

Liabilities	Jan 01, 2022	Dec 31, 2022	Change
Total Liabilities	$23,520	$36,209	$12,689

Fund balance	Jan 01, 2022	Dec 31, 2022	Change
Net Assets	($3,429)	($10,727)	($7,298)

Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

Documents

Letter of Determination

Form 1023/1024 is not available for this organization

Executive Director

Tiffany Ring

GENTLE SPIRIT HORSES RESCUE & SANCTUARY

Officers, directors, trustees, and key employees

SOURCE: IRS Form 990

Compensation

Other

Show data for fiscal year

Compensation data

Download up to 5 most recent years of officer and director compensation data for this organization

There are no highest paid employees recorded for this organization.

GENTLE SPIRIT HORSES RESCUE & SANCTUARY

Board of directors
as of 4/1/2025

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Board of directors data

Download the most recent year of board of directors data for this organization

Board chair

Tiffany Ring

Doug Hofer

Kayla McMackin

Nina Ring

Sarah James

Shelly Kutelik-Olson

Stacy Munk

Tiffany Ring

Board leadership practices

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.

Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? yes
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? yes
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? yes
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? yes
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? yes

Organizational demographics

Candid has made improvements to the race and ethnicity options.

Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.

Leadership

The organization's leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity

White/Caucasian/European

Gender identity

Female, Not transgender

Sexual orientation

Decline to state

Disability status

Decline to state

GENTLE SPIRIT HORSES RESCUE & SANCTUARY

Mission

Is this your nonprofit?

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

This profile needs more info.

Our programs

Education & Outreach

Rescue

Where we work

Our results

Evaluation documents

Number of animal adoptions

Totals By Year

Population(s) Served

Related Program

Type of Metric

Direction of Success

Context Notes

Number of animals surrendered by their owner

Totals By Year

Population(s) Served

Related Program

Type of Metric

Direction of Success

Context Notes

Average number of days of shelter stay for animals

Totals By Year

Population(s) Served

Related Program

Type of Metric

Direction of Success

Context Notes

Number of animals rescued

Totals By Year

Population(s) Served

Related Program

Type of Metric

Direction of Success

Context Notes

Our Sustainable Development Goals

Goals & Strategy

Charting impact

What is the organization aiming to accomplish?

What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?

What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?

What have they accomplished so far and what's next?

How we listen

Financials

Financial documents

Revenue vs. expenses: breakdown

Financial data

Digitizing IRS form 990 data

GENTLE SPIRIT HORSES RESCUE & SANCTUARY

GENTLE SPIRIT HORSES RESCUE & SANCTUARY

Operations

Documents

Executive Director

Tiffany Ring

GENTLE SPIRIT HORSES RESCUE & SANCTUARY

Compensation data

GENTLE SPIRIT HORSES RESCUE & SANCTUARY

Board of directors data

Tiffany Ring

Board leadership practices

Board orientation and education

CEO oversight

Ethics and transparency

Board composition

Board performance

Organizational demographics

Leadership

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

Transgender Identity

Sexual orientation

Disability